


Do you know your sin?

by Elleusive



Category: RWBY
Genre: How Qrow handles Summer dieing, Other, Qrow is Ruby's dad, Qrow x Summer, STRQ - Freeform, Summer x Qrow, Summer's Death, he doesn't, spoiler - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-09-27 14:10:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10024214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elleusive/pseuds/Elleusive
Summary: In response to Summer's death, Qrow has turned catatonic. He doesn't speak and he barely moves. He throws hostile, aggressive fits and cries in a painful, guttural manner at the loss of his love, his wife, and the mother of his child.Can Taiyang bring him to speak for the first time in three months or will he be attacked by the belligerent man whom he once called his friend? Will his friends and family eventually find a way to pull him from the dangerous clutches of his own mind and self-hate? Or will Qrow succumb to his sickness?Link to the image that goes with this work can be found in this url: http://ellelehman.tumblr.com/post/157838825506/why-tai-lifted-his-head-slowly-to-see-qrowFurther images from this writing can be found on my tumblr blog.





	1. Chapter 1

_‘I can’t believe we found…’_

_‘Where is she? Have you locat-…’_

_‘He doesn’t look too good. Is he going to pull…’_

 

Qrow groaned, eyes fluttering open from pitch darkness to the warm ending light of dusk. Eyes adjusting and feeling foggy, he searched his surroundings. White room, a quiet beeping sound, in bed. Hospital. A sigh of relief hit him.

‘So…they came for us after all.’ He chuckled, but only barely once he recalled just how much pain he was in. His head swayed to the side of the room, locating a large window with a view of the outside. The sun was setting into Twilight, casting beautiful colors across the sky.

‘Well…better late than never, Atlas.’ He thought begrudgingly. Willing the strength to come forth, he sat up slowly, minding his painful, aching body. He could feel the bandages holding him tightly around his arms, legs, chest and torso.

Recalling bits and pieces of the trap that was laid for them, he recalled being clawed, bitten, and turned into a huntsman shish kabob. Memory recalled that Summer wasn’t much better off after that fight, being skewered herself.

‘Summer!’ His brain’s fog beginning to lift, he looked around the room for any signs of his wife or someone outside he could flag down. Eyes widened as a familiar face peeked through the window of his door.

After conversing with a doctor, he walked in to greet his friend, though he seemed a bit off. Qrow smiled upon seeing his friend and mentor.

“Oz!” He coughed, his chest aching and his voice raspy. How long had he been out that it was so hoarse from being unused?

Ozpin grabbed a wooden chair from across the room, sitting himself down next to team STRQ’s scythe wielder.

“Now, now, please don’t waste your strength on greeting me. I’m glad to see your finally awake. How are you feeling?” His eyes raked over the butchered body of Qrow Branwen, showing their concern and worry for his well-being.

In a whisper, he managed, “Other than the holes in my body? Great.”

Ozpin rolled his eyes at the young man, “If you’re making jokes, then I believe you.”

He smiled at his old headmaster; his signature cheeky smile pulling at a corner of his mouth. Blinking hard, Qrow narrowed his eyes as he tried to recall Atlas rescuing him and Summer, but falling short in his memory. “So, what happened?”

The older man’s mouth grimaced slightly as he leaned forward. “What do you remember?”

“Well…” Qrow whispered, voice sounding as if he had been gargling gravel, “I remember taking out the horde of Grimm alongside Summer…then, out of nowhere we saw Jim- ah, General Ironwood. He called out to us, but…it didn’t sound like him. Not really. Like his voice had bad reception. Static. Turned out to be a Grimm mimicking him…”

Ozpin interrupted him, sighing, “I’ve had a run in with those types before. Doppelgangers are what some call them, but they can imitate people, animals, and voices to lure in unsuspecting huntsmen and force them to drop their guard.”

Qrow nodded. “That’s exactly what happened. He attacked…punctured us badly. I remember that we were able to take him down…but…” Memories just before their unconsciousness set in flooded back to him.

* * *

 

_‘Q-Qrow—R-Ru— ‘Summer clawed and gripped against Qrow’s blood-soaked shirt, holding him tightly, whining and gasping to him in a frantic, quiet whisper._

_‘I’ve got you, Short-Stah…I’ve got you…’ Qrow held her close to his body, bloodied arms wrapped around her figure. He, too, began to struggle to give his body enough air._

_‘Q-Qr— ‘ She struggled out once more, coughing into the nape of his neck._

_‘D-Don’t worry…I’m here. I promise…I promise. Together. I promise, we’ll both g— ‘_

* * *

 

“Qrow!” Ozpin’s voice brought him back to the present as he felt his body shudder at the nightmare of a memory. His eyes had drifted away from Oz, and returned at the call of his voice. Ozpin gently touched the man’s shoulder. “Are you alright? What is it?”

Continuing where he left off, he answered, “I don’t recall anything beyond that.” He lied to Oz, but found that what he and Summer experienced was personal and private. The man didn’t need to know what he promised her when faced with death.

Ozpin nodded, responding, “Well, I believe you lost consciousness only mere minutes before Altas military, and the real Ironwood, found you and brought you onto their ship.”

“Late, I might add.” Qrow added, feeling as though he could beat Jimmy to a pulp.

“Yes, well,” Ozpin began, “They were given wrong information. Wrong time and wrong destination.”

Qrow’s brow raised in question. “A mole?”

Ozpin nodded. “We believe so, though whoever it was made their escape before we caught onto it.”

The injured huntsman sighed at the bad news. “Oz, it seems like Salem and her crew is always one step ahead of us. I’m getting sick of it.”

“As am I, Qrow.” Pushing up his glasses, he relaxed against the back of the chair. A silence fell to the room as both men mulled over thoughts in their mind.

“Ozpin…” Qrow began, ready for some good news, “Where’s Summer? Is she doing okay? Has she awoken yet?”

Ozpin sat up from his chair, diverting his glance from Qrow, and walked to the edge of the room.

“Ozpin?” The bedridden man began to feel uncomfortable with the silence. It was a simple question, he thought. The headmaster of Beacon continued to look away from him, keeping the room quiet and still.

Forgetting the pain, panic taking its place, Qrow sat up and laughed nervously, “Hey, all I asked was where she was. Ya know, room number? Maybe an update on her condition. It’s not like I’m going to sneak off and get down and dirty with her.”

Still nothing, not even an irritated sigh from his previous teacher. Qrow’s body lifted itself from the bed and onto cold tile flooring.

Noticing Qrow out of his bed, he responded simply, “Get back to bed, Qrow. You’re badly injured.”

Crimson eyes widened and began to emit an anxious glow. Ozpin’s voice continued, encouraging him to rest, reminding him of his current condition, but all his words fell silent to Qrow’s ears.

Quietly, Qrow questioned pitifully, “…Ozpin, where is Summer?”

Ozpin visibly gulped, giving no further instruction or que to her whereabouts.

Again, he prodded, “Ozpin?”, his voice pleading with his friend to speak up. He walked toward the older man, clad in green and hiding behind his glasses and gray hair, as he felt his wounds reopen and stitching tear at his flesh. Another more nervous laugh escaped Qrow’s throat as he neared in proximity to Ozpin.

“C-Come on, Oz, if you stay silent like that, you’ll make me think something bad has happened.” Only a few inches away from Beacon’s headmaster, Qrow continued, “You-you-you found me! She was right there, in my arms! So, tell me Oz, where is she now?!” His voice became frantic and raised in volume.

Exhausting all his patience with Ozpin’s stillness, he tightly gripped his shoulder, forcing the man to look him dead in the eye. Fear, anguish and uncertainty was all Qrow could see behind his dark glasses and brown eyes.

Asking just once more, Qrow inquired, “Where…is… _my wife_ , Oz?”

His eyes, dropping down to the floor and away from Qrow, said what his voice could not. “Qrow...” the man began as the grip on his shoulder loosened. “When…when we found you…there was no one else there. No sign of Summer.”

The four-worded sentence rang loudly through Qrow’s head, its tone harsh and unforgiving. His eyes bugged at the statement as he took a step back from his mentor. Ozpin continued to talk, speaking about search parties and finding her, but they were unheard and left to wallow in the empty space between the two of them.

Qrow shook his head, unable to accept the mans response. Eyes darting to the door, his body lunged forward without warning straight through the wooden blockage. Breaking and splintering against his skin, he ran down one of the halls in Vale’s hospital.

‘That’s a lie! That’s a lie! You were in my arms! This is a joke, right?! Right?! Where are you?! I’ll find you!’ His mind raced with thoughts of Summer, holding her bloodied body close and fading into nothingness alongside her. ‘You’re not—You can’t— ‘

“ **SUMMER!** ” He called for her, screaming at the top of his lungs. His chest was set ablaze by the yell, along with his now bleeding body, but he ignored it all in search for her. Racing down the hall, he peered into every room, trying to find red tipped hair, pale skin, and possibly open, silver eyes.

“ **SHORT-STACK, WHERE ARE YOU?! SUMMER!** ” Cries continued as he raced through the building’s floor. Rounding a corner, he stopped in his tracks to find a team of doctors and nurses blocking his path. Taking the moment of pause, he caught his breath and frantically scanned any other options. His other pathways, however, were being filled with other teams of medical staff. He was trapped like an animal.

“Mr. Branwen,” The one doctor spoke up, grabbing the crazed mans attention, “you need to go back to your room. You’ve torn open your wounds! You need—“

Snarling in response, Qrow backed away from the man and cried, “No, no, no, what I need is to know where my wife is! Where is she?! **Where is Summer Rose Branwen?!** ”

The medical staff looked confused, trading glances at one another. The sound of heels to hard, tile floor came up behind Qrow and the medical team. Ozpin pushed through the crowd, still unable to look Qrow in the eyes.

The man begged with the upset huntsman, “Please, Qrow, come back to your room. I’ll explain everything if you—“

“No!” He barked, cutting the man off. “ **No** , you’ll explain now! **Right now!** ” He screamed.

The area was silent, with nothing but the enraged panting of Qrow Branwen to fill the quieted hush.

Sighing, Ozpin found the strength to look his friend in the eye, confessing, “Qrow…she’s…she’s gone.”

Aggressive, defensive shoulders dropped at the older gentleman’s words. He whimpered, “ _Wh-What?_ ”

“She’s gone, Qrow. We…we have searched the area where we found you for almost three weeks, but…” Pulling an item out from behind him, Qrow gasped at its sight, shaky breath inhaling at a quickened pace.

Unfurling the bundle of fabric showed a white, tattered cloak with holes riddled through it and stained with blood. Qrow gasped for air, hyperventilating at the sight of Summer’s cloak.  
Blood dripping from his body and exhausting all his adrenaline, Qrow’s consciousness fell into darkness as his body collapsed onto the cold floor.


	2. Chapter 2

Awakening in his bed once more, Qrow’s eyes shifted to see a team of nurses, a few doctors, and Ozpin all staring at him. He was tired and felt weak, yet somehow managed to sit himself up, though the party in the room protested.

His gaze drifted to Ozpin, exhausted and hurt. The man walked up to beside his bed, holding out the torn, white cloak in front of him. “I’m…so sorry, Qrow.”

Qrow stared at the garment, tears streaming down his face, and daintily took it from him. He laid it on his lap, dropping his head to continue staring at the clothing and rubbing the fabric gently and subtly under his bandaged palm. His face scrunched and pulled in miserable confusion, mouth open as if he had something to say. The only sounds he could produce were raspy breaths and short, quiet croaks.

His face turned back to Ozpin, a single question running through his mind and onto the expressions in his face.

‘Is this really happening?’

Ozpin nodded once, dropping his gaze from the huntsman once more. It seemed to pain him to even look at Qrow.

“That’s it! That is enough!” A voice in the crowd grabbed the headmaster’s attention, and the attention of those around them. It was a portly, short nurse who stepped forward, her face angry and unamused.

“Professor Ozpin, sir, you need to leave! This isn’t healthy!” She pointed her finger to him, chastising the man’s behavior.

“Please, my friend—“ Ozpin began, but was cut off by the shorter woman.

“Needs to get better! He barely escaped with his life, and now you’re throwing mental pain in with the physical?! Mr. Branwen doesn’t need this right now!”

The two bickered back and forth as Qrow’s focus continued to be locked onto his wife’s most treasured piece of clothing. He examined it closely as tears began to cause darkened wet spots to appear on the fabric. Among the holes were sewn up stitches from previous missions and encounters with Grimm, bandits, crime syndicates, and many other adversaries that the two dealt with on a nearly constant basis. Turning the garment over, he found a patch that he was looking for. A black feather was sewn into the inside of her cloak. He ran his fingers over the raised area of string, bringing a bittersweet memory to the forefront of his mind.

 

* * *

 

_“Is…Is that a feather? When did you put that in, Short-Stack?”_

  
_“Mmmm…not long after we started dating…”_

  
_“So…what, sometime between last week and now?”_

  
_“Don’t smirk! I saw it while out at R. Stilts Kin’s Sewing and Fabrics shop, and…it just reminded me of my favorite bird.”_

  
_“Oh, really?”_

  
_“I said stop smirking! Yes, really! This way, it will always feel like you’re by my side, Stilts.”_

  
_“…Summer…as long as you want me by your side, then that is where I’m going to stay.”_

  
_“Qrow…”_

  
_“…You…you do want me to stay with you…right?”_

  
_“You goof, don’t ask questions to things you already know. Of course I do!”_

* * *

 

 

Qrow’s sniffed, heart aching and feeling warm at the same time as their past, joined laughter echoed inside him, shaking him to his core. His hand gripped the fabric before him, recalling the feeling of her small, rough hand intertwined with his.

The stout nurse walked up to Qrow, continuing her arguing with Ozpin.

“He is not keeping this here, and that is final!”

Reaching for his wife’s cloak, Qrow’s arm shot out and grabbed the woman by the hair. Turning his head to face hers, his eyes vacant and face blank, made the people in the room back away. Energy shifting within the room, turning to one of tensed, belligerent rage and charged aggression, medical staff began to edge toward the door of the, now widowed, huntsman’s room. Qrow’s eyes burned with anger, a fury that did not show on his face. A growl gargled in the back of his throat as he barred his teeth at the struggling, frightened nurse.

A disturbed chuckle ripped through his chest, shaking him slightly. Whispering in agitation, he warned the entirety of the room, “Touch it and I’ll slit your throat.”

One quick shove and the nurse was thrown against the opposite wall. Though tall and thin in appearance, Qrow held immeasurable strength that seemed to even surpass his own visible muscle.

A few other nurses picked up the stout one and hurried her out of the room. A random doctor and nurse, one that Qrow had never seen before, stepped forward. Though whispered, Qrow’s ears picked up their hushed comments.

“Hold him down, I’ll administer the sedative.”

Within the blink of an eye, Qrow was on his feet, in front of the two medical professionals. Astonished by his silent slip out of bed, they scrambled as the man glared them down. Grabbing the chair that Oz sat in, he lifted it effortlessly over his head and began to attack the entirety of the room with it. People who were only looking to help him began to fly, hitting walls and breaking bones. Those who could avoid the huntsman’s crazed, unprovoked attacks grabbed their injured coworkers and fled the room in terror.

All except Oz. The two men stared one another down; one had a look of shock and horror, the other…blind, seething rage.

Quietly, Oz held up his hands in a defensive manner and spoke softly towards the recently snapped man, “Qrow, no one is going to take the cloak from you. We’re here to he—“

Without witnessing the path of movement, Qrow was already upon Ozpin, arm against his throat and his back thrown against a wall. Snarls and growls reverberated through his throat and out of his mouth, threatening Ozpin.

The headmaster watched as hostile wrath overtook the broken man before him. He had only ever witnessed Qrow go into a similar, more tame state a few times before. Each time, it was due to injury or harm that came to his team. A less tamer state was when his beloved Summer was attacked or wounded.

A different breed of animal was before Ozpin today. He was not the young man he had watched over, had seen grow, had hired alongside Summer. Instead, he was a hostile hunter, about to attack his newly captured game.

Though danger very real and present, Oz found he felt more pity and sorrow for him than he was fearful. The young man’s semblance was, in a word, unfortunate. Though he witnessed Qrow do his best to avoid people at Beacon, it was obvious that the boy craved human interaction and intimacy. He appeared to be a very lonely child until Summer befriended him.

“So…” He spoke up, still adhering to his soft speaking voice, “this is the you buried underneath it all, isn’t it?”

Qrow snarled and roared at him, pushing the man harder against the wall. A glint in the light caught the headmasters eye as he saw a sharp, silver scalpel gripped tightly in his hand.

‘So, you don’t know whether to choke me or slice my throat open.’ He surmised, carefully watching the man’s fury unfurl before him.

Ozpin struggled against his friends’ arm, but pressed on, “This is what you’re reduced to when you…you have nowhere else to go? That isn’t true, though, Qrow. You have me…you have Taiyang, everyone at Beacon. We’re all here for you.”

The words of comfort Ozpin spoke seemed to fall on deaf ears. He wasn’t listening. His free hand lifting, Qrow grabbed Oz by the arm and threw him across the room. Catching himself mid-air, Ozpin landed on his feet. Another snarl hissed through Qrow’s throat as he charged toward Oz.

Cane in hand, Oz threw up his barrier, sending the shape-shifter flying backward. Landing on all fours, his shoulders and limbs shifted aggressively, fluctuating his weight back and forth between his left and right side.

“I don’t want to fight you, Qrow! I’m here to help you recover! If you just talk to me—“

Advancing once more, long legs cut through the air swiftly, attempting to connect with Ozpins body. One throw of his limbs made contact with Oz’s face, knocking his glasses to the floor.

The man grabbed him by the sides of his jacket, throwing him to the floor.

“Qrow, don’t make me hurt you!” Ozpin yelled, hesitant to add more injury to the scarred and bleeding man.

Just as before, the young huntsman wasn’t listening. As he lunged to attack Ozpin further, his cane flew and bashed him across his face. The blow stunned him, making him drop the sharp tool in his hand and allowing the headmaster to produce another barrier and fling the bandaged man across the room. Middle of his back smacking into the metal frame of the bed, Qrow howled and slumped to the floor.

Picking himself off the floor, Ozpin stared at the crumpled mess that sat in front of him. He could hear Summer Rose chastising him for hurting her husband inside his head, and made a mental note of apology to his young, deceased pupil. He moved closer as to make sure Qrow was, in some regards, okay. Seeing his shoulders rise and fall, Oz was relieved to see him breathing.

Shockingly, Qrow had enough strength left to lift himself up, albeit in a shaky manner.

“Qrow, you’ve lost too much blood. I’m going to fetch your doctors…please don’t attack them.”

Silently, the huntsman struggled to put himself into bed as his teacher fled the room quickly in search of an uninjured, brave doctor.

 

* * *

 

“Please, I’ll be there with you to keep him under control, but he has lost too much blood and will die if we don’t do something!”

“I already said I’d help…just, keep him from going berserk again so that I can at least sedate him, okay?”

The doctor and Ozpin, towing a line of five nurses, reached his room. Opening the door, they found that Qrow was silently sitting up in bed staring at a wall.

The group carefully walked in, finding that his bed was beginning to look more red than it was white. As they all reached closer, Qrow continued to stay frozen in place with only the visible signs of breathing lifting his shoulders and moving his chest.

The doctor and Oz exchanged a concerned glance. Fearing it to be shock, the doctor approached the huntsman. Further inspection showed that Qrow had recently been crying, eyes more red than usual and tear stains marring his dry face.

“Mr. Branwen?”

No response.

“Qrow Branwen? Can you hear me?”

Silent and still, Qrow seemed locked in place. Not so much as a blink was occurring.

The doctor sighed, handing off the sedative to a nurse.

“We don’t need this. He’s gone catatonic. Let’s start the transfusion. He won’t bother us.”

Ozpin stepped forward at the mention of the word. “C-catatonic? Not shock?”

“No,” The doctor responded, “not shock. Nurse, hurry!”

The team worked quickly and efficiently, and before the minute was up, Qrow had been hooked up to a bag of blood to help replenish his own. The doctor eyed up the cloak, but a voice called out before he could make any action toward it.

“Just leave it, please. He’ll be set off again if you reach for it.” Ozpin warned, and the team all jumped in agreement with him.

“It’s a real shame,” the doctor sighed, turning back to Qrow, “to watch a legend fall. After the disappearance of his sister and his brother-in-law taking to teaching…Qrow and Summer were the only ones left of team STRQ who were really doing this world some good.” The man shook his head, heading for the door.

“Take care of him, please.” Oz pleaded. “I know he’ll be a lot of trouble, but he is still a good friend. I want him to get better.”

Taking pause at the headmasters’ plea, the doctor answered him, “So do we, teach, so do we.”, and left the room along with his nurses.

Reaching into his coat pocket, Oz pulled out Qrow’s signature pendant, wristband and rings. Placing them on the end table next to him, he sighed at the sight of signature items missing their owners. His mouth pulled into a grimace, agonized at the sight of Qrow, whose gaze has yet to leave the wall in front of him.

“I’ll return sometime this week. You won’t have to go through this alone.”

Turning to leave, Ozpin took a few steps before feeling his eyes sting. Shaking away the desire to shed tears, he ended their visit with one whispered phrase as he hung in the doorway.

 

“Please forgive me, Qrow.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Taiyang, are you sure about this?” Ozpin stood alongside one of the last remaining members of STRQ, gazing through the window atop the door. Both the men’s eyes were trading glances between one another only to return on the young man’s broken team mate who laid in bed, staring out his window. Tai rubbed the bridges of his nose and merely sighed.

“I can’t keep avoiding him. As much as I had hoped he’d pull through this by now, I need to do something, Oz. He may be a sarcastic, alcoholic, jack-aaaa-...” Taiyang’s eyes drifted to his daughter and niece, both asleep in the chair just outside of Qrow’s room. In a whisper, he finished, “...ass. He is, however, still a great friend, a better huntsman, and my brother. I can’t just stand by as he destroys himself over this.” Tai dropped his eyes, thinking of Summer.  
They both had shared such fun, happy times, the three of them. Raising their girls together and being a family was supposed to be their happy ending...at least, until whatever was hounding Qrow and Summer had been vanquished. His heart ached for the little sister he had lost just three months ago. 

“I...he...we have all lost Summer. I’m not about to let us loose him, too.”

Oz silently nodded, stepping aside for Taiyang. “If anything happens in there, I will call--”

“What? No!” Tai argued, “Don’t interfere. I can handle myself, Ozpin.”

Ozpin’s eyes shifted away from Tai, and with no further hesitation, he walked in the room. Hearing the door lock behind him, Tai felt a shift from the hallway to the room. Beyond the room being incased in the darkness of the night and absence of any light inside his chambers, there was something to the small space that unnerved him. The energy was thick and infectious. His eyes scanned around the room, feeling as if something was watching him. ‘Get it together, Tai.’ He assured himself, moving to a wooden chair that sat opposite to Qrow’s large hospital bed.

He stared at Qrow, eyeing up his multiple bandages, scruffy face and slightly longer hair. Though his face was turned away from Tai, he could tell that the man was in terrible condition. Qrow always looked rugged, but his appearance was disheveled and careless. He thought back to how Oz had told him that Qrow was attacking people. ‘Have you been attacking anyone who has tried to groom you?’ The thought tickled him for a brief second. A quick gulp, and Tai began to talk with his old friend about things he had wanted to say since he heard about her death.

“Hey, Qrow.” Tai waited, seeing if there would be any response. Nothing. Not even a shift in weight or position. Face covered by his jet black hair, his former teammate kept his focus on whatever was through the large window that sat to the left of his bed.

“I know I should have visited long before. I know you must be pissed off at me for leaving you here with just Oz for the past three months.” That was a lie. He didn’t know. Qrow was such a scramble of negative emotions and actions that Tai really didn’t know if his baby girl’s uncle was still in there. Still, he pressed on. “There are so many things I want to say. I wish I could’ve been there...with you two. Then maybe the outcome would’ve been different. Maybe we all could be a mess together, healing and telling jokes like we used to.

But that is never going to happen. You don’t have to ever tell me the story, by the way. I-I’m fine with just knowing what Oz told me.” For a brief moment, Tai thought he saw Qrow stir, but it was too subtle if it even happened at all. He looked over to Oz, who was barely visible from Tai’s angle.

Turning to look back at his brother in law, the unnerving, heavy feeling returned, and now he knew exactly where that sensation was coming from.

His deep blue eyes widened as the glowing, ruby red ones that were staring back at them shook him to his very core. His body shifted back toward the chair; toward the wall opposite to Qrow. He felt a fear seep from his body that he had never quite felt before. This feeling was that of prey, and the predator had just set his sights on him.

Tai began to feel his eyes sting with tears. Those eyes didn’t belong to his team mate, to the man he fought along side and grew up with. They were not the eyes that belonged to his best man, his friend, his brother-in-law. They weren’t Qrow’s eyes.

“Qrow...are you...are you listening to me? Can you hear me?” He asked in disbelief. Qrow had been considered catatonic, suffering from PTSD and shock for weeks. Was he really listening now?  
Qrow continued to stare, not blinking or budging from his stance.

“You’ve been listening to everyone this whole time, haven’t you? You’ve been faking it?!” Tai snarled at the huntsman. Again, no response. Just a disturbing stare that carried an immeasurable amount of rage and pain. Tai recoiled, figuring that his last two sentences were a stupid thing to say. “No...of course you haven’t. I’m...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell like that. I just can’t believe you’re actually listening to me!”

It was like he was talking to a brick wall. Qrow had made it obvious that he was aware of his surroundings by looking directly into Taiyang’s eyes, so why was he not responding to any of his questions? Tai threw his face into his hands, which were digging into his legs as he sat. Quiet tears began to stream down his face, grieving for his last team mate.

“I’m so sorry, Qrow! I’m so so sorry!” He sobbed, wishing more than anything for the ability to turn back the clock. “I don’t know what to do for you! Tell me! Please, I can’t-” He gasped and sniffled through his crying as it began to fall harder and more labored, “I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me!” Lifting his head, Tai fell from his chair in pure shock.

There, beside the foot of his bed and almost like magic, stood the man he had been sobbing over. He had moved, under sheets and on tile flooring, without making so much as a sound, blowing Tai’s and making him realize just how much of a threat this man is. Qrow’s figure stood tall and strong as his eyes continued to stare into blue, watery ones. Ever so slowly, his head cocked slightly to one side. Tai was unsure if he was happy to have finally see him move or scared at the achingly slow pace of his gesture.

“How...how are you...?! You’re still going through physical therapy, aren’t you?!”

Just like before, Qrow merely stood there, staring at him. A blink. He was blinking! A relief to see him behaving like a normal human, in some regard, was all Tai could think about. His eyes got a closer look at the misfortunate man’s bandages. He had been torn to shreds and skewered, from what Oz had told him. How was he not in pain?

More tears began to fall from the blonde haired man’s eyes as he was reminded of Summer. It was hard not to think about her when thinking of Qrow. His head dropped, feeling a hole in his chest dig itself to the forefront of his consciousness. He had felt so guilty over her death and Qrow’s condition. If only he had been there, then maybe she wouldn’t have died. Maybe Qrow would be sane and happy.

“I’m sorry, Qrow.” His legs dropped to the floor, unable to find the energy to move any of his limbs. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.” He continued to repeat the phrase, filling the silence and attempting to quell his aching heart with apologies.

Hot breath hit Tai’s forehead. His eyes shot up, seeing squatted legs, a torso, and bandaged arms folded over knees. Qrow had moved, without sound once more, into Tai’s space. His heart leapt into his throat upon hearing a familiar, calm, husky voice answer him.

“Why?”

Tai lifted his head slowly to see Qrow dangerously close to him. Tai threw his head and back against the wall, only to find that he had no extra space to spare. He was scared of this man. Qrow frightened him. Something was unhinged in him...something that Summer Rose had kept closed off for years. No...something that only her death could set free.

“Why are you sorry?” Qrow asked once more, eyes continuing their piercing gaze. He spoke in such a raspy, matter-of-fact manner that it threw Tai off. He questioned his apologies as one would ask for a glass of water. When Qrow finally did speak, he thought it would be consumed with emotion and grief for Summer. Instead, he seemed almost barren of any feelings he once held. ‘Though,’ he thought, ‘that could change.’

Tai shook his head frantically, unsure of how to answer him.

“I keep hearing that phrase.” Qrow continued, sounding almost confused. “ ‘I’m sorry’. Why? What are you sorry for?”

Tai squirmed under his gaze, unsettled by his question. ‘What, are you stupid? Why wouldn’t we be sorry for your loss? For what happened?’. In an attempt to hide from Qrow’s intense eyes, he found an item he wasn’t sure still existed in this world.

On a coat rack right next to Qrow’s bed, hung a tattered, white cloak stained with blood.  He couldn’t control the tears once he realized how Qrow had most likely spent his nights staring at his partners- his wife’s signature cloak.   
A subtle, eerie smile graced Qrow’s lips, bringing Tai’s vision back to stare into Qrow’s. “That? You’re sorry for that?”

Why was he being so nonchalant about it? That was Summer’s cloak for Gods’ sake! Did he feel nothing?

“Taiyang, let me ask you something. Does it ever cross your mind that you’re not supposed to have happiness?”

Jarred by the usage of his name, Tai scrambled. What kind of question was that? All he could do was stare back at Qrow, bewildered by such a question. Qrow picked up where he left off, seeming to be satisfied with silence as his answer.

  
“It’s crossed mine. I am the human avatar for disaster. My life has been on a path of mayhem and destruction. Until...” His eyes searched for a moment, looking over his shoulder to the cloak. Qrow’s mouth quivered into a grimace, unable to finish his thought aloud. Turning his head back to Tai, Qrow shook his head slightly. “That...that was stepping over my bounds.”

Tai raised his eye, unsure of what he meant. ‘That’? His eyes narrowed, trying to make sense of what the hell he was talking about. Quietly, Tai mumbled, “...Summer?”.

His smile only widened at the mention of her name; a long, disturbed smile. “You needn’t be sorry for something you didn’t do, Tai. You have to ask yourself, though...do you know what your sin is?” A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Do you know your sin, Tai? Because I know mine...”

Lifting his body from the floor, Qrow walked over to the shredded cloak and stood in front of it. His hand fidgeted, unsure if he wanted to touch it or not.

The pieces fell into place. Tai realized just why he broke the way he did. He blames himself. Qrow truly believes he caused Summer’s death.

“I should have never met you. If I knew it was going to be this hard...” Qrow’s voice faltered, as if he was on the edge of crying. Tai wouldn’t blame him if he did.

“You...you didn’t kill her, Qrow!” He managed to speak up, derailing whatever Qrow was dealing with in the presence of Summer’s garment. Throwing his head over his shoulder, Tai was met with his same, blank expression with tears rolling down his face. He turned his body to face Tai only to walk toward his bed. Kneeling down, he shoved his hand in between his mattresses, only to pull out a scalpel. Qrow began to play with it in his hand, flipping it from side to side and twirling it betwixt his fingers. Tai gulped, but continued on. “She wouldn’t want you to act like this! She would want you to carry on, raise your daughter, be there for Ruby!”

Qrow didn’t respond to him and Tai wasn’t sure if he could hear him still or not. Losing all of his patience, Tai shouted, “SUMMER ROSE LOVED YOU AND THIS IS HOW YOU’RE GOING TO REPAY HER?! BY WASTING YOUR LIFE HERE?! **YOU HAVE A DAUGHTER, QROW! YOU NEED TO GET BETTER FOR HER!** ”

In the blink of an eye, Qrow was over his team mate. Tai crumpled before him, feeling helpless under his gaze. With a cock of his head, Qrow retorted, “Summer…is dead. She is dead because of me,” He pointed at the cloak with scalpel in hand, “because of what I can do. Because of who I am, I have taken a good, pure soul from this world. Because of that man,” his hand swung to where the window was. Qrow knew Ozpin was out there. “because of him, because of all of you,” Finally, his tiny, sharp instrument was pointed in Tai’s face, “… _she died alone_.”

Tai’s eyes widened. The amount of defeat on his last three words broke Tai’s heart.

“Q-Qrow…you…”

“She died alone. I was so close…so close to being with her again. I promised…I promised. She wasn’t going to go alone. I promised she wasn’t going to die alone.” Qrow fell to the floor, curling in on himself and rubbing his head ferociously. “You all made me into a liar.” His face snapped up just enough for his illuminated eyes to meet Tai’s. A snarl was on his lips as he bit his final word. “You all dragged me from her side just to survive? To live without her? Why? Why make me watch that? Watch her…watch her die. No. I promised.” Qrow’s words turned into incoherent strings of sentences that Tai could no longer decipher. He was truly a pitifully, broken man.

“Qrow, Summer would want you to live.” Tai reached out hesitantly, attempting to console his friend. Sharp eyes stopped him as they lifted from the ground once more.

“Aren’t you listening? Summer is dead. She can’t say what she would want.”

Tai looked down for a moment before continuing. “You know what I mean, Qrow. You know that she would—

“What I know is that she perished without me.” Qrow crossed his legs, keeping his eyes on Tai. The blonde hunter met his gaze, feeling as though he was losing this battle. “I can’t even bury her…” Qrow mumbled, head lowering to the floor. He eyed up the sharp scalpel in his hand. Quietly and in an unnecessarily gentle way, Qrow placed the instrument far in front of him, on the floor. His eyes still held their same intensity, but his voice sounded tired and echoed a pain that can’t be described in words. He lifted himself off the floor once more and slowly made his way to the bed.

Tai repeated it once more, not wanting their conversation to be over. Not yet. “Qrow, please. Ruby…Ruby needs you! She’s hurting without Summer, too!”

Qrow paused, halfway onto the bed. His upper body began to curl into himself, shoulders shaking and hands gripping the bed sheets. “Get. Out.”

“You’re still a father Qrow!”

Body straight and a brutal look upon his face, his dead eyes seemed to light up with resentment. A look that Tai has yet to ever see on his brother-in-law’s face. Calmly, yet firm, he repeated, “Get. **Out**.”

“Are you going to abandon your daughter?! ** _Like Raven_**?!” Tears streamed Tai’s face as he stood up from the floor, backing away to the door. He heard it open, figuring Ozpin was preparing for him to run away from an enraged Qrow.

“I said—

“What about _**‘Petal’?!**_ ”

Qrow’s eyes widened as he threw himself off of the bed toward Tai. An animalistic snarl escaped his lips as he chased the blonde man out of his room and with one final roar, Qrow shrieked, “ **GET OUUUUUUT!!** ”

The door slammed and locked itself as the man with blazing red eyes stood a few feet away, huffing and panting. A large commotion began to fill the room as he cried and screamed, throwing the chair against the wall, knocking over the medical equipment, and turning his dwellings into utter chaos.

Tai shook his head in response to Qrow’s fit, “How...how could he just leave her? He loves Ruby…he hasn’t forgotten her. Why?”

Oz offered a hand to Tai, picking the man off of the floor. “Maybe he is afraid. If he sees her, he’ll have to move forward.” Ozpin glanced over to Ruby, the wheels in his mind turning rapidly.

Tai shifted his glance between Ruby and Oz and pushed the headmaster back a few inches. “No, No! You will not—

“Tai, it’s the only way.”

“You will not use Ruby. Not my niece. Summer will come back from the dead and kill me! Once Qrow regains his senses, he’ll kill me, too! That is…” Tai turned back to the noisy, muffled room, listening to Qrow’s destruction. “…if he ever comes back.”

“Tai, we might not have another option.” Ozpin followed the young man’s gaze, seeing pieces of wood and equipment flying across the window. “We can wait…but I believe that she will be the key to putting himself back together.”

Tai didn’t respond. He only continued to view the spectacle of debris flying through the air of Qrow’s room, praying that the man’s mind will mend itself before such drastic actions are taken.


	4. Chapter 4

The night air in Vale was crisp and chilled. It brought a sting to any passerby’s face and brought the body to a light shiver. The moon was new, hidden from plain sight with only the stars to fill its void.

The Kindgom of Vale was quiet, Beacon Academy even quieter, and not one body walked amongst the street. Breaking the silence was the call of a black bird, gliding through the night undetected and unnoticed. It perched itself onto a small branch in a dying maple tree, leaves turning all different shades of dehydration and ending. The tree gave the bird a view through a particular window; a window that was surrounded by the East Vale Rehabilitation Clinic.

The gargantuan clinic, home to many sick and injured huntsmen, also housed the mentally unstable; hunter’s and huntresses who need therapy, drugs, and time to heal the inner workings of their brain. It was a place that many came to rot away, to simply disappear from the world’s public eye, suffering and dying in silence.

The black bird sat outside this particular wing of the Hunter’s Hospital, cocking its head and readjusting itself. It was looking for something…someone. Jumping onto the outside sill of the window, the bird began to lightly peck at the glass. Red eyes continued to search and scan the room.

With a quick flap of its wings, the bird left the window, only to change into a young woman. Taking her sword in hand, she cut into the night, blade slicing through the inky black nothingness only to tear a red portal into reality. She hastily walked through the causeway, ending up in the very room she had been looking through moments ago.

Her body stiffened, sensing the room’s energy. It was laced and electrified with a hazardous charge. She clearly sensed danger, but could not pin point its location. Willing her feet to move, to become vulnerable prey to whatever had its eyes on her, the woman’s legs shifted her toward a large hospital bed. The sheets were in disarray and one of the pillows laid itself on the floor, next to the bedframe.

Her eyes were caught by a glimmering, silver item that lay upon the nightstand beside the disordered bed. Her eye’s softened at the sight of a cross pendant. Her brow turned up, worry beginning to cast over her face. She gently touched it, feeling the smooth, thick metal caress against the tips of her fingers. Her mouth dropped, thinking upon the bearer of the item in question.

‘Heh…thinking about it now, I don’t believe I have a memory of you without this necklace.’ The young woman wondered softly, her red eyes that were lit up to combat the darkness of the night, began to close as memories began to fill her. 

Thoughts of a young boy, not quite as young as she, danced through her mind. Wild, inky black hair and burning red eyes that matched her own was owned by this particular boy. Her mind raced through years of interaction. A memory hits her hard, one of cries and heart ache. The recollection of death to a mother and a father, and the tears her twin had shed alongside her in the wake of their passing. A later recall from childhood was brought fourth; the moment they were taken in by their family. 

Her figure shifted against the continuation of death and destruction in their young lives. Thoughts of the same boy, a little older but no bolder, staring off into the distance. His hands and legs are covered in blood that is not his own and he begins to cry at what they had both just done.

‘But they were like us,’ He cried as his sister rubbed his back and patted his head, ruffling soft, fluffy hair that had been tinted red. Tears mixed in with the thick redness on the boy’s face and hands, falling into the grassy mound just below their feet. In an attempt to reassure her brother, the girl merely responded with, “The weak die…the strong live…” and nothing more.

That same boy grew into a young man who bore distant, aggressive eyes and rarely smiled. Coming into his own, causing mayhem and misfortune to anyone who came close, this once little boy found comfort in his solitude and began to close himself off from the world around him. The lifestyle of bandits was grating on the sensitive, black-haired boy, going against the grain of his personality and sense of moral; of who he was deep down. 

Memories of his somber face struck an unpleasant chord in the young woman, thinking of later years; moments in time where the boy had left for school, became a man, and found happiness and belonging in a tiny, young maiden with scarlet hair and silver eyes. The petite woman, who bore black and red as if she were destined for her brother, to be a Branwen, and shrouded herself in the purity of white, would be called ‘friend’, and later, ‘sister’, by the young, raven haired huntress.

The young miss’s eyes caught something shift from the corner of her eye. Moving her head slowly, she spotted a white brilliance that somehow escaped her view upon first entering the room. Her eyes began to sting, walking ever closer to what seemed to be tattered fabric on a coat hanger.

Her sister’s cloak.

Gulping, the woman felt a chill roll up her spine. The white, hooded shroud was stained with blood and torn. Here was another item that seemed off without its owner. The display of the cloak in what she knew was her brother’s room gave her the chills. The insides of her stomach churned against the thoughts of him staring into the blackness of this room only to stare at the garment that was hung just a few feet from his bed.

The woman reached out hesitantly and slowly, feeling as if this entire situation was not real unless she proved it to herself. Nothing would bring her more relief than to grab the white shroud only to find her small leader behind it. She would burst from behind, wrap her arms around the taller woman and laugh at the prank she pulled. The raven-haired woman would scream and cry at being tricked in such a cruel way, but at least happiness would soon follow those bitter emotions. If it were only a trick, a terrible prank, then she could apologize for leaving her entire family in her small, delicate hands, apologize for living her life how she needed to, and beg for her little sister to forgive her for diverging in paths and never truly saying goodbye.

‘Of all of us, you were the last one who I thought would…’ her face dropped, hand still outstretched toward the cloak. ‘…I know if he could, he would trade places with you. In a heartbeat, he’d give himself for you. He loves you more than I ever thought was humanly possible.’

Wild dark hair being brushed from her face to make way for a stray tear, the woman continued her trail of thought.

‘I didn’t like you when we first met. I’m not even sure if I completely like you right now, to be honest. You did a great job at weakening him, even if that was the cost for his happiness. You effortlessly took him away from me, and I grew bitter toward you with that knowledge. Then, you did the impossible. You brought me into the fold of your smile, too. You became my best friend and had my back through thick and thin. We had so much fun together and I only wish it could have lasted forever.’ The young woman sighed, a gloomy smile perked the edges of her lips as she stared at the signature white cloak that will forever be separated from its holder.

Moving her hand a bit closer, she could only repeat a single phrase through her head.

‘What happened to you, Summer?’

Mere centimeters away from grabbing the tattered cloth, she stopped, feeling the energy in the room change. A noxious tension was added to the mix, making the young woman’s chest heavy and her breathing stressed. Her long, feathery hair began to stand on end and the glow in her eyes intensified. Instincts going wild with feeling preyed upon, the woman gripped her sword tightly and was prepared to strike should her enemy make itself known.

Her muscles tensed, sensing the unpleasant energy coming from behind her. Slowly pivoting her body, her eyes caught the sight of bright red staring back at her. Body involuntarily twitching from shock, taking a step back from the curled figure that sat a-top a small counter opposite to her. Through unkempt, black bangs sat two red orbs that pierced the darkness of the hospital room. Unblinking, unwavering, red eyes that glowed with a fierce intensity were locked onto eyes that mimicked their shade and burn.

She could believe that she missed the white cloak upon her first entry. Missing an entire body was out of the question. They had been hiding from her, watching her since she first came to the window. The figure that sat on the counter kept its face mostly hidden from view with a knee blocking the lower half of its expression. An arm draped over the knee, hugging the side of the still hidden face, while the opposing appendage merely hugged the torso of itself. Its other leg dangled off of the counter, lifelessly. The entire form sat motionless, staring the woman down from the opposite side of the room.

Scowling at the person across from her, she straightened her posture. Her grip loosened around the hilt of her sword, hand shaking from grasping it tightly. Taking a step toward the motionless body before her, the red-eyed woman lifted the silence from the room by addressing the person who sat before her.

“Hello, Brother.”

Silence hung in the air as she waited for her twin to respond. He continued to keep still, eyes glued to her person, almost as if he was waiting for the right time to pounce and attack, which unnerved her.

Whispers had danced through the veteran huntsmen’s conversations in Vale of a member of STRQ losing his mind at the loss of his partner. Songs of his torn body and narrow survival reached all the way to her ears, in the corner of Mistrel alongside her tribe.

‘How unfortunate for him,’ They would say, ‘to almost die to a Grimm, but to also lose a loved one in such a brutal manner?’

‘They say he will never recover.’

‘Good riddance. He was nothing but a cocky, troublesome drunk of a huntsman. Only tolerable thing of him was that cute little wife of his.’

‘Don’t talk of a man you know nothing about! Branwen is a good man and an even better huntsman! He’ll pull through physically. They say his mind is rot, however…’

‘I hear he lays in bed all day, staring at nothing’

‘It isn’t nothing he stares at’

The conversations she had picked up rang through her head like a choir of bells, hitting her at the same pace and all at once. She eyed him up, surprised to see that he was even out of bed. The bandages that covered his arms were clear as day, and from the scrunched space between his shirt and pants revealed even more bindings and dressings for his wounds. 

“So, the rumors I heard are all true, then?”

No response vocally, however the man’s neck cocked to the side ever so slightly. It was a slow shift, a physical movement that made her skin crawl in unease.

“You were attacked? Put in this miserable state by a Grimm? I don’t believe it.”

She continued to pull nothing from her brother. He was as silent as the day is long, and in terrible condition from her view. Why had he hid from her? Why had he decided to show himself when he did? How can he move after, supposedly, such a brutal attack that nearly cost him his life?

How had he moved without her making a sound? Even if he was doing his best to be quiet, this was still tile flooring, and her ears should’ve picked up his movements. Instead, he had just appeared out of nowhere, like an apparition. She fought her strong desire to make sure that he was real, unsure if she wanted to touch him, let alone close to her while in this disturbing state of being.

“Tell me the truth, Qrow. What happened?” She commanded, raising her voice slightly in volume and resolve. Just what happened to the two of them out there? It couldn’t have been just a Grimm attack.

“Are you even listening to me?” She recalled that the word ‘catatonic’ had been used when talking about Qrow in hushed voices. Word was that he would either be completely distant mentally, off in some faraway place in his mind, or a hostile, violent aggressor toward anyone who crossed him.

“Am I reaching you? Do you hear me?” Her voice began to plead with him.

Still nothing from him. No response, no shift in weight, no sign of life or thought behind his lifeless, intense eyes.

“Qrow…please, do something. Say something. Anything.” She could feel her eyes beginning to well up with tears. Urgency was in her voice as she truly begged for her brother to give her any sign that he could hear her. “I won’t accept it! You’re my brother, you’re not weak! You’re alive because you’re strong! Don’t waste that strength by wasting away in he—

Raven paused, noticing slight shifts in his hand. It may have been small, but it was movement. Meeting his gaze again, she was hoping to see his face shift in expression. Something more to prove that her brother was still in there. Alas, nothing else had altered. Her weight shifted, placing all of it onto her right leg.

This meeting had become an ordeal. A very exhausting ordeal. Rubbing her face to keep the stress from building, she lifted her eyes once more to find his eyes not on her. A sudden realization hit her.

He was never staring at her. He had been staring at Summer Rose’s cloak that hung right behind her this entire time. Her head twisted around, eyeing up the cloak herself. Nothing had changed about it since she last laid eyes upon it. The energy, however, shifted once more. Never in her life had she ever been afraid to face her enemies or any obstacle head on. Until now, she had been very head strong and confident in herself.

The dark, negative energy that was right behind her, however, made her heart race. A sudden feeling of dread came over her as her breathing picked up in pace. An electricity bounced off the walls of the chamber, skin prickling at the concentration of its charge. The feeling of breath and sound of a raspy chest sent a shiver down her spine. A thought raced into her head, and forced her hand to act without a second thought.

‘If I don’t swing now, I’m going to die.’

With an impulsive slash of her sword, she turned her body about face to be presented with her twin brother, merely an inch from her face. He made her gasp, eliciting an indiscriminant noise to escape her throat. The moment of shock being over, she realized her sword had been stopped in its path by bandaged hands. Blood began to drip down the sword and stain his dressings, though he showed no sign of pain or even so much as acknowledged it. She struggled against his grip, but found her sword was stuck sheathed between his fingers for the moment.

Connecting with her brother’s eyes once more, a pang of terror bubbled up into the forefronts of her chest. She had never feared this man once in her life, but this was also not her brother. This was a caged, wild animal, waiting to land a kill.

“That’s not the reason, Raven.”

Raven held her breath at the mention of her name, spoken so coldly from her own flesh and blood. She didn’t want her name to be mentioned with such distant frankness. Not from him.

Her brow furrowed, feeling like a cornered rat and instinctually becoming defensive.

“Wh-Wh-What?”

“That’s not the reason. That black and white mantra you live by. I did not survive because of strength.”

He was finally talking to her, though his voice was especially husky and continued with his detached tone.

“I survived due to the grey zone. Because,” A snarl began to crest on his lips, “of them. It is only because of them.”

Raven felt his grip on the sword tighten, a slight shake sent itself up to her person to remind her that he continued to keep her blade nestled into his flesh. She refused to look away from him, though. Nothing could take her attention from him right now. Not when he had finally spoken to her and answered her in some regard.

“Them?”

The scowl on his face had disappeared, being replaced by his blank, dead stare once more. “Them.” He reiterated. “Ozpin, Ironwood, your husband, these doctors and nurses, literally everyone who is not ‘us’.” Bitterness dripped off of his words thickly and generously. He was upset. No…he was enraged.

“Why are you— “

“It’s interesting, you see,” He cut her off abruptly, “how no one knows where to look. As if the blood wouldn’t have been a good enough trail on its own. All I hear is that it’s gone cold, that I have to accept reality.”

Raven’s apprehension to her brother merely grew, unsure of what he was even talking about. He was just rambling from what she could understand.

“What no one wants to ask is ‘what is reality from these four corners’? From this sterile, lifeless room, where broken souls come to fester in their own noxious lives and die in silence. What is my reality?” His eyes drifted from Raven to the cloak behind her. For the first time since seeing her brother since his attack, she could see a glimpse of sadness. Longing and pain mixed together in his eyes, seeping out through his gaze.

Grabbing his collar, Raven began to yell, “Qrow, look at me! You can’t keep— “

A gurgle replaced her words as his free hand gripped snugly around her neck. It wasn’t a chokehold to cause discomfort or pain. It was a move to silence her, not unlike a dog biting the neck of a submissive, weaker canine. His move was for dominance, and he succeeded, muzzling Raven and making her scowl in uncertainty as to what her brother would do to her should she speak again.

“Tai had questions, too. So many questions. I had just one for him, and now I’m going to ask you the very same thing.”

Qrow inched closer to her, whispering with a low, guttural growl behind his words, “Do you know your sin, Raven?”

His hand fell from her sword and throat, which caused her body to instinctually back away from him. He was not just misfortune anymore. He was danger. Aggressive, domineering, hostile danger that could explode at any moment. His hands relaxed at his side with the sound of blood dripping to the floor. Slowly, he walked toward the torn garment.

His uncut hand gently lifted, barely touching the fabric beneath his fingers. Qrow allowed his hand to fall and backed himself away from the cloak. His body began to shiver. Raven watched as her brother wrapped his arms around himself as he sunk to the floor, crouched on his haunches. Shaky breath and gasping began to escape her twin as he curled farther into himself. His head began to shake, his breaths becoming more rushed and anxious, panicking for any number of reasons from what Raven had seen in the hour she had been there.

A small, hurt voice cried to no one in particular, “She wasn’t weak.”

Raven realized he was losing himself over her words.

“She wasn’t weak. She wasn’t weak! She wasn’t. Why? Why? No. I promised her. No! She wasn’t! Alone. She was all alone! Died! All alone! No! I promised her that she wouldn’t be alone! We were going! We were! No! No! She wasn’t! I can’t— “

Qrow’s breathing was out of control. The man fell to his hand and knees, continuing to cry. He gasped through his words, body shaking as he tucked his head to his chest, continuing its persistent shaking.

“I can’t! I can’t, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t— I can’t do this! I can’t do this! I CAN’T DO THIS!” From deep inside of Qrow came a bestial cry. It echoed off of the walls, a sorrow that could only be described through expression; without words and without gestures. The sound shook Raven’s core, making her heart leap into her throat. His fingers raked against the tile flooring, tears falling fast and hard from his scarlet eyes. Blood from his wounded hand began to paint the floor with his handprints, coloring the sterile white with the red of his broken life. 

Crying so strongly prompted hacking and coughing from her twin brother, who began to control his breath ever so slowly. Raven slowly made her way over to him, hearing small mutterings from the huddled, bloody mess that Qrow had been reduced to.

“Please, no. I can’t do this. I can’t be here anymore. No. Without you. I can’t. Don’t make me stay. Please. Please.” He whispered as he begged and pleaded with anyone who would listen.

The man’s shoulders shook, the panic attack’s wave crested and gone, leaving him a shuddering mess. Gently and cautiously, Raven moved her hand to touch his shoulder. Without warning, his body went rigid, stopping her forward motion in its tracks.

“Take it back.” His voice was dark and husky once more, all anxiety and anguish seemingly stripped from him. Qrow turned his head slightly, a red eye peering through his bangs meeting hers. She leaned back, bringing her hand close to her person.

“Take it back. Now.” He barked, ready to forward any of his left-over aggression onto her. Raven shook her head in confusion. Had she said anything?

“She was not…weak. Not… weak. Death came and took her. She was not weak, Raven!” Qrow roared, rage quickly building within him.

Raven simply nodded. “…Yeah…she wasn’t.”

Seeming satisfied with the simple answer, he retreated back to the hooded shroud before him. Dropping his head, he shifted his body to sit upright, facing Summer’s white cloak. His face was indescribable. Raven couldn’t begin to decipher all the agony and grief that washed over his face when his eyes laid themselves upon that tattered cloth. It was a vicious cycle of torture for him to look at her most valued possession.

One question remained on her mind. A question that he seemed to not only ask her, but Taiyang as well.

“Qrow…what is your sin?”

Without missing a beat, Qrow answered bluntly, “Loving her.”

Raven stared at him. She couldn’t think of anything to say in response to such a ridiculous declaration.

“Loving her. It was a dream…an illusion. It was only going to end up this way no matter what I did. I was always going to be the one to do it.” A low chuckle escaped his chest as tears began to fall from his face once more. “It was always me. I warned her. I believed her when she…and now. Now, I— I ki-…I kill— “

Qrow curled into himself once more, his lips turning upside down into a grimace and hands raking harshly through his hair. Raven’s heart sunk. She knew he always blamed himself for any misfortune, whether he caused it or not, but now she realized the truth. He had blamed himself for her death. Watching her older brother sit and cry to her, Raven felt her own rage build up. In a swift motion, Raven grabbed Summer’s cloak from the hanger and backed up to the corner of the room.

‘This has to stop.’

Qrow’s eyes shot up, his body hurriedly following suit and also Raven. His face turned into a blind rage as he grabbed one of the chairs that sat against the wall, throwing it toward his sister. It narrowly missed her.

“RAVEN!” He shrieked, teeth barred and eyes fully encased in a blinding, red light. Qrow dashed toward her, but halted in his tracks once he saw her sword pressed against one of the holes in the cloak. His face, his attitude, his demeanor, everything about Qrow changed. 

“That’s better.” Raven began, “You can’t keep going on like this! You sit in this room, staring at this stupid cloak, right?! Why?! Why do you torture yourself like that?! She made you this way, she made you weak!”

Qrow winced, head dropping in submission. “Please, don’t…”

His voice brought her back to when they were children, back to when he cried over their first kill. Her heart ached at that fact. Summer’s death didn’t make him weak, she realized. She just released his inner demons. All of his fears and insecurities came flooding out at once, turning him into the groveling man who stood before her.

He begged once more, “Don’t! Don’t do it! Please!”

“Why shouldn’t I?! This is what’s keeping you here! This is why you can’t move on! Why shouldn’t I tear this to shreds?!” It was Raven’s turn to snarl. 

Shaking her foundation, she shockingly watched her brother shut his eyes, and in a pure, honest cry, bawled “IT’S ALL I HAVE LEFT!”

His hands shook as they outstretched, reaching for his wife’s favorite piece of clothing. “WH-WH-WHAT AM I GOING TO BURY!? THERE-THERE’S NO BODY! NO BODY AT ALL! IT’S ALL I HAVE! ALL I HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE TO! IT’S ALL I HAVE LEFT OF-OF-OF- “Qrow stammered, stuck behind her name.

“Summer…” Raven finished for her brother, who, even after months of her death, seems to be unable to utter her name. He nodded his head gently.

“I’m begging you…don’t. Don’t do it. Please. Please. Raven! Don’t tear my…” Qrow took a long breath and shakily released it. “Please don’t tear my wife’s treasured cloak.” His eyes showed a genuine fear of Raven and what she intended to do. All at once, he was no longer a hostile animal. He was her older brother again, who was pleading with his sister to give his last remaining token of Summer, of his love, back to him.

She looked down at the clothing, admitting to feeling a sense of her in the cloak. Memories flooded her mind, drowning herself in thoughts of Summer. Being on her team, becoming top champions both years at the Vytal Festival, braiding one another’s hair, gossiping and sharing stories, being her maid of honor at her brother’s wedding, having her help deliver Yang, helping her delivery Ruby, and so many others flew through her mind all at once. A tear dripped down her face as she closed her eyes and said the only thing she could think of.

“Goodbye, Sis.” She quietly whispered, though seeing Qrow’s head perk up, she knew he heard her. Handing it off to him, Raven felt a part of her heart leave with the cloak, too. It was bittersweet, as she knew this would be the last time she would see anything of Summer. Wiping the tears from her face, she eyed up Qrow, who gently took the cloak in his hands. He cradled it with care and a delicacy that he had only seen when he attended to Yang or Ruby.

“Qrow…what did you promise her?” Raven asked, her final question that she felt needed answered.

Qrow sauntered his body back to his bed, exhaustion beginning to take him. He lifted his body into the comfort of the mattress and sheets, holding Summer’s shroud close to him as he laid into bed.

“I promised…we’d die…together.”

Raven winced, not expecting that to be his answer.

“I promised that to her. I held her close…,” Qrow buried his face against the hood part of the cloak, “and as she bled and cried in my arms…as I began to lose consciousness, I promised that we’d go together. She wouldn’t die alone.”

His eyes began to fall heavily, though he struggled to keep them open as they moved to Raven. He chuckled softly and bitterly, “Those fucks out there made me…made me into a damn liar.” His eyes closed, tears creating small rivers that poured down his face.

Raven’s lip quivered, tears beginning to trail down her face to match her twins’. That is what she hated about Summer Rose. They were supposed to go through life together, return to the tribe together, fight alongside one another. Since day one, Qrow has been destined to be with her. Even in the bitter end, she made him want to throw his life away just to die at her side. She had a hold on Qrow that made her both happy and sick at the same time.

Bringing her sword up, she made another portal. Before leaving, she turned to Qrow once more.

“Until we meet again, brother. Stay alive…for me. For…” she sighed, swallowing her pride to utter it, “For her. For the both of us. For your daughter, too. For Rub-”

“Leave.” Qrow bit, cutting her off. She shifted against his sharp, short word, but knew the reason behind it.

‘Not ready to face her, huh?’ With that final thought tickling her in a sour, unpleasant way, she exited, leaving that once little boy, alone in his room, bloodied, broken, and silently crying into the night.


	5. Chapter 5

_‘It wasn’t supposed to be like this.’_

A familiar, once soft voice that Qrow had loved and cherished now turned bitter in his mind. His absent gaze drifted from the window to her cloak. He counted every hole and tear until the chiding came once more.

_‘How could you?’_

He shut his eyes tightly, feeling his temples ache and head feel hot. Bandaged fingers lifted to rub the affected areas.

_‘Why did you leave me?’_

Qrow’s body stiffened as the voice sung viciously through his brain.

_‘You promised. You promised. Why? You promised.’_

Curling in on himself, he pleaded with the voice, _‘Please, stop. I didn’t-‘_

_‘You caused my death and then left me to pass on my own. By myself. You truly are nothing but **bad luck.** ’_

Eyes shot open at the sick laughter that followed her sentence. He kept his eyes forward and body rigid, feeling paralyzed by the voice. Heart picking up in pace, he gripped the sheets that covered him to ground him; to remind him where reality was.

Repeating, the same phrase echoed all through Qrow, _‘You killed me and left me. You killed me and left me. You killed me and left me. You killed me and left me.’_

The words began to pile and jumble, becoming loud, crowded static between his ears. Gripping onto his head, Qrow frantically rubbed his scalp and raked his fingers through his hair. Crimson eyes turned bloodshot as they dripped sorrow from them, turning his face and lap wet with anguish and guilt.

In an instance, the toxic phrases stopped. In their place, was whimpering and pleading from the hospitalized man. Curled into himself and shaking, Qrow cried quietly and softly into the sterile air of his room.

“I know…I know…I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” His whispered sobs went unanswered, the uncharacteristically venomous voice hushed in the wake of his grief.

Lifting his head, Qrow’s stared down at his own bandaged arms. His face was blank with wide eyes; a look he carried very frequently lately. Dropping his shoulders, he fell back into the mountain of pillows the nurses had provided for him.

His illuminated gaze pierced through the darkness of his chamber as he set his gaze on a ceiling tile.

_‘I don’t **want** to be here, Short-Stack. I want to be with **you**. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.’_

Qrow’s eyes shifted to his door. _‘ **They** …however, had other ideas. They found me…but not you? I don’t believe it.’ _His mouth turned into a snarl, rage building in his chest. _‘I’m not buying that line of bullshit.’_

Crimson set itself onto the ceiling once more as his whole body limply laid into the mattress. Lifting his arm, he lifted it high into the air, spreading his fingers apart from one another.

 _‘Doesn’t hurt…ya know?’_ A sickening chuckle ran through his body as thoughts of his sister’s previous visit ran through his head. _‘I’m not sure why…but it just doesn’t. It’s all numb. Maybe it’s the meds…maybe I’m just dead inside. Perhaps there’s nothing left in this world that can hurt me like…’_ He paused, brow peaking up and face twisting in pain, casting a glance at Summer’s cloak.

_‘…like losing you did.’_

Dropping his arm, tears drifted from his eyes quietly. They were not accompanied by cries or sobs.

_‘It’s not fair.’_

His heart clenched against him, sorrow and anguish mixing into a debilitating turmoil deep within him.

_‘It’s not fair. Why did you have to love me? Why? Why? Why did you even want me? I told you. I warned you. I tried to keep my distance but you just- you just couldn’t keep away from me. You drew me in, made me feel things I hadn’t experienced. You made me feel like I belonged somewhere. You fed me the delusion that I deserved your love. I was so happy…’_

The voice chimed in to add to his comment, correcting him, _‘ **We** were so happy…’_

White, wrapped hands met a tearstained face, covering it from anyone’s view. _‘If I had known…if I had any inkling as to what this would feel like years ago, I would have broken your heart. I would have pushed you away if it meant you’d be safe. If you could have lived your life safe and happy, free from me and my misfortune, I would’ve done anything._

_‘And I would have fought every step of the way…or you’d say something like that, I’d imagine. That no longer matters, though, does it? Wherever you are, dead or otherwise, you’re there because of me…you’re alone because of me…you’ve suffered and may still be suffering because of what I am._

_‘A **monster**. I’m a **fucking monster** , who does nothing but take and take until he has destroyed everything that lies before him…’_

Rolling to his side, Qrow curled into a fetal position, pulling his blankets close to his face.

_‘I’m a sinner, Summer. A monster should never dream to live the life of a normal person. Someone like me…never deserved you or the warm light and happiness you brought. I should’ve stayed in the darkness, where I could be alone, where I couldn’t hurt anyone. I belong there…in the cold and the quiet, where no one can reach me._

_‘No one is ever going to get hurt because of me ever again. No one will suffer under the weight of my semblance…only I will bear that cross.’_

Her lyrical voice picked up once more, reprimanding him again, _‘Is that why you refuse to even think of, let alone mention our dau- ‘_

“ **Silence**.” Qrow’s voice came dark and graveled from disuse. His eyes shined, harsh red light pouring from them out of anger. He began to slip once more into his crazed, frenzied speech patterns, drifting between coherent and confusing. “You have no idea what it has been like for me. No. No. What hell I’m in…what a nightmare I’m living. This is my nightmare. Everything. It’s all here. I’m living it. No…not her. I don’t want to. To see her suffer…like you.”

The voice made no move to speak, just as he willed it.

“No…” He whispered to himself, burying his face into his blankets. “She will never see me again. Never again. No. I won’t go through that. I won’t. I won’t be the reason she ever suffers. I’ll do things right this time…and…and keep my distance from her. If she ended up like you, Short-Stack, I’d blow my brains out right there. Right there. Yeah. I’d sooner condemn myself to the claws and teeth of a hoard of Grimm than live another second.”

The voice was silent at the man’s revelation.

“She needs a stable family. Tai…Tai. Safe, stable- “

 _‘She needs **you** , Qrow.’_ The voice rang once more, filling his head with the voice of his lost love. _‘She will always need her father. She loves you so much-‘_

“And I her. I love her and I can’t. I can’t do it. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t put her at risk. I won’t. I can’t. My semblance. I can’t allow my semblance to ki— “ He stopped himself, swallowing the very real possibility of Ruby meeting the same fate as her mother one day should he stay in her life.

 _‘So…you’ll just wallow here for eternity?’_ The bitter voice of Summer Rose shoved his thoughts into a different direction.

“…I’m going to find her…them…whoever it was who did this to us.” With teeth barred, his lips curled viciously into a snarl. “I’m going to kill every one of them for what they did to you. To us. For tearing our family apart. That’s what I’m going to do. To kill them…kill them all…make them regret it. Make them pay.”

His words dripped from the inner demon he carried with him since childhood. A being that helped to numb him to the lifestyle he once led. A creature that was locked away at Beacon, which Qrow thought he had abandoned years ago.

Eyes closed and ready for sleep to take him, he allowed his unhinged nature to fester even further. It was this old trait that lashed out and attacked Ozpin and the nurses, that destroyed his room upon multiple occasions, that wished for the death of Salem and her entire crew. It was a darkness that Qrow fed every night as he isolated himself from the world and the ones who loved him. Without their influence, Qrow found it very easy to slip back into the darkness from which Summer pulled him from. With her gone, he gladly dipped back into the inky nothingness, welcoming the animalistic, aggressive wrath to build and swell within him.

A sick, disturbed smile tugged at his lips as his eyes stared ahead, absent and piercing, and a final thought sang through his mind before slumber took him, _‘Beware, Salem…the god of misfortune is coming for your head…and there is nowhere to run.’_


	6. Chapter 6

“You’re out of your **damned mind** , Oz!” Tai yelled, arguing with his old headmaster in the hall of the hospital.

“Please, Tai, it’s going to be half a year soon and he hasn’t gotten any better. We’re running out of options.” Ozpin pleaded with the blond-haired man, gesturing to the door that housed Qrow Branwen.

“No, I won’t allow it! I don’t care if the fate of Remnant depended on it—“

“Which I shall remind you that it does!”

“So is that it?! You need me to let him see Ruby, snap him out of this depressive state he’s in, which might not even work, _just to send him back out into the field again?!_ I’m back to asking, are you out of your **DAMNED MIND?!** ” Tai shoved the man, having little to no regard for this man’s well-being.

“Remnant needs Qrow. That’s just the way it is. He’s my best huntsman at gathering intel, and I need his help. This affects all of us, Tai.” Ozpin did not raise his voice, but the young father could see that his previous headmaster was losing his patience.

“Find someone else! You’re not going to use my niece just so that you can go and abuse, or worse, kill her father! You’ve already helped in Summer Rose’s death, isn’t that enough for you?!” Tai continued to shove the man back, moving farther and farther away from the door.

Ozpin grabbed Tai’s wrists, stating, “There **is** no one else.”

“Bull! That is such a **damn** lie, Oz.” Tai spit, anger raging inside him. “You’re not putting them at risk! Not anymore! Qrow is strong, he’ll pull out of this on his own, and then he’s coming home with me.”

Ozpin’s eyes narrowed. “Is that so, Mr. Xiao Long?”

“Yes. He’s going to raise Ruby and be in Yang’s life; he’s going to have the family he’s always wanted, safely on Patch.” Dark blue eyes narrowed as well, challenging him to take it further.

“Even if Summer is gone? You don’t think he’ll want revenge?”

Tai paused, truly unsure of how to answer that question. Ozpin dropped the mans’ wrists as he thought on his inquiry.

“No, I think he will…but,” Tai dropped his gaze, recalling happy moments between the three of them; Summer, Qrow, and Ruby, “I think he’ll want to be by Ruby’s side more. That little rosebud means more to him than anything, Oz.” He lifted his eyes to meet ones that were covered by glasses. “It’s wrong of you to try and take him away from that.”

“Tai, he’s a huntsman. He’ll always be a huntsman. To put him in another line of work would bring him no satisfaction.” Ozpin knew from the first victory of the Vytil Festival that team STRQ was headed for greatness. The second victory proved that it was Qrow and Summer who gave him that inclination in the first place. They were an unstoppable team and had shown through their mock missions and arena battles that just the two of them could handle anything that was thrown at the entire group. They loved being huntsmen, almost as much as they loved one another. It’s the sole reason why he approached them before the team graduated.

Taiyang scoffed, “Oh, and what, raising their daughter wouldn’t? He can get a teaching job at Signal, settle down and be there for Ruby. Watching her grow, being her dad, all of that would bring him satisfaction, too.” He ended his response with one final comment. “It’s what Summer would have wanted.”

As Ozpin began to open his mouth and respond, a loud, resounding ‘click’ was heard from behind Taiyang. Both men turned to see Yang asleep on a bench, but Ruby nowhere to be found. Tai turned back to Oz frantically, “You don’t think…”

Showing that he shared his panic, both men scrambling over to the door. Through the window, the two of them watched a four-year-old Ruby waddle around the room. Her eyes scanned the entirety of its contents, not stopping for too long on one item.

Shaking the door handle, Tai did his best to force it open, but to no avail. “The hell is this thing made from?! Why won’t it open?!”

Ozpin sighed, “Well, since his attacks haven’t really stopped in frequency, the hospital decided to upgrade his door about two months ago. Apparently, whoever he fought with sliced his hand up and threw him into a fury, destroying another chair.”

“Ozpin, the point!”

“Anyway, this door is meant to be resistant to huntsmen. There is a special Schnee locking glyph carved into the lip of the lock. Once closed, hunters can’t enter unless they have the key.”

Taiyang’s anxiety rose exponentially. “We-We-We need to get her out of there! If Qrow does something to her, I’ll kill him, and then he’ll kill me for allowing her to wander in there in the first place!” His hands dragged down his face, stress building every second.

“Move, maybe I can find a way to break it. I am a special case.”

Taiyang moved quickly, giving his old headmaster the room he needed to work. Both the men gasped as they saw Ruby catch what she was looking for.

 

* * *

 

Qrow sat quietly on the bed, ignoring the itching of his healing wounds and the audible but muffled argument that was being had outside his room.

His blank expression was fixated on what seemed to be the window beside him, or something outside of the window. In the recesses of his mind, Qrow was drowning himself in thoughts of his deceased wife. He swam through the memories at beacon, recalling the first time the two of them had ever confessed their true feelings for one another. For him, however, that memory had turned sour and rotten. It was bittersweet recalling one of the happiest moments of his life, only to realize said moment is also the exact moment where her life was doomed; fated for disaster and death.

The corner of his mouth twitched, finding no comfort in their lives that followed that pivotal event. It was all tainted by her death and turned into a living, breathing memento that existed inside Qrow; that was Qrow.

The memory of Summer’s pregnancy awoke in his brain, flashing through all the milestones they hit together through her trimesters and eventual birthing of their daughter. He recalled being both happy and terrified of the news. A child that he helped to make…his child, growing inside of the one woman he cherished in this world? It was a frightening nine months, he recalled. Would she miscarry? Will the baby be stillborn? Will it be healthy? Could he make something positive, for once, in this world?

Seeing Ruby for the first time, he knew that she was going to be the one good thing that would ever come from him. Everything else would pale in comparison to his child. His magnificent daughter. His—

_‘click’_

The noise resounded through Qrow’s mind, pulling him from his thoughts and back into reality. His head shifted slowly, catching the eyes of his little girl. She took pause for a moment, staring back at her father with her big, beautiful, silver eyes. Through a blank expression, Qrow grit his teeth.

_‘Her eyes…’_

Ruby’s face lit up after just a few seconds of staring. Giggling, she ambled toward the bed, and hoisted herself up onto the mattress. Finding her balance on her hands and knees, she greeted her father with a cheery smile, calling him, “Daddy!”

Qrow blankly stared at her. He had no idea what to think as he watched his daughter crawl toward him. It had been almost six months since their attack and his hospitalization. In that time, he has made it a point that he didn’t want any contact with Ruby. He didn’t want anyone to speak of her and he especially didn’t want for her to see him.

Still, the child, his child, had the same power as her mother. Beyond her eyes, she seemed very capable at drawing people to her. As bitter, disturbed and distant as Qrow had become to the outside world, it all began to melt away upon seeing her face. He sat up, carefully watching her scramble up to his knees, wobbling and falling as she tried to find what was the mattress and what was his body.

Joyfully, she picked his legs to climb on instead of the bedding, and crawled up to his thighs in delight. Catching something in the corner of her eye, her head turned to the end table. Giggling, Ruby crawled to the edge of the bed. Qrow’s eyes glanced over to see her beginning to reach for his cross pendant. A twitch in his eye squirmed out, as he glanced back between Ruby, the pendant, and the distance that was obviously too long for her little arms to reach. Still, she reached with all her might for her favorite, signature item. Since infancy, Qrow could recall her constant obsession with clutching onto his necklace, an act that would constantly being a smile to his lips.

Now, the same obsession was about to harm his child.

Just as he guessed, she became top heavy and dropped.

 

* * *

 

Taiyang screamed at seeing Ruby begin to fall. Swiftly, however, Qrow leaned over the side and curled his arm underneath Ruby, catching her mid-air.

“He…” Oz began, hardly able to believe what he saw.

Taiyang finished for him, “Caught her…”, unable to believe that the hostile, disturbed man he talked with months before just rescued her from taking a hard tumble.

 

* * *

 

Cradling her in his arm, a sense of relief washed over him.

 _‘ **Fuck you** , Misfortune. You’re not hurting her.’_ He swore in his mind, cursing the one thing he wished he could control. Slowly lifting her, Ruby laughed and managed to grab the cross before being safely placed onto his lap. Crossing his arms around her, he held her loosely as she fiddled with his signature necklace. Her tiny fingers rubbed the smooth metal betwixt them. Observing her behavior was almost astounding to him. It was as if he had never left. As if—

“Mommy?”

The word jarred him, unprepared for her to utter that word. Her head had turned to the side of the room. Eyes following, both crimson and silver rested upon Summer’s last surviving, earthly possession.

Her white hooded cloak, torn and in disarray, hung on a coat rack just a few feet from Qrow’s bed. Again, his little girl cried, “Mommy?”, this time more frantic and confused.

Her eyes began to drip tears as she continued to call out for Summer. “Whur Mommy? Mommy?!” She shifted in his arms, upset at the sight of her mother’s garment. Whether it was the condition of the cloak or the absence of her mother wearing it, Qrow didn’t know.

Eyes red from crying, Ruby turned to face the hanging white cloth. Her small hands balled up the cloth underneath her. Without turning to him, she called out to Qrow, “Daddy? Daddy…whur Mommy?” She cried, beginning to sob and gasp through her question. Qrow’s brow peaked up in fear and his mouth frowned. It had been so long since he heard her call him that. What was there to say? What could he say? How do you explain to your toddler that you’ve killed her mother? That she will never come home because of you?

Still struggling with speaking himself, he found his throat dry and voice silent. The courage wasn’t there. He wasn’t sure it would ever be there; the bravery to be honest with his little Ruby.

Unleashing the floodgates of her eyes, Ruby’s tears feel graciously. She bawled into the vast space of his room, rubbing her tears with a fist. “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mommaahahahaha,” gasping for air and more energy to wail, she continued, “ **MOMMY! MOMMY! WHU-U-U-UR YOU, M-M-MOMMY!** ”

Qrow’s fragile, broken heart was torn to pieces at her display. Though it didn’t feel right, touching her with how upset she was over his fatal mistake, he reached out for her.

_‘Petal…’_

Using his thumb, he caught her new tear just before it fell from her eye. Ruby coughed, caught off guard by her father’s touch. He rubbed her face gently, assuring her that he was here for her. Her face leaned into his bandaged palm, stirring his mangled, tormented heart.

  
Ruby sniffed, “D-Daddy?” He hated it, how she still clung to him. After all that he did, after what he took from her, he couldn’t stand it. He was disgusted with the bond he had with Ruby, a relationship he clearly never deserved. She deserved so much more than what he could give, than what he was.

Still, her tiny body flung into him, curling against him as she cried. Her hands gripped at his hospital shirt, staining it with her tears. Ruby’s small, shaking frame made his arms move instinctively to hold her, rubbing her head as she wept into him.

  
“Daaaaaaaddy!” She wailed, “Daddy! Whur wur you?! Whur Mommy!? Mommy!” Ruby cried with no signs of stopping, snot and tears dripping from her as plentiful as her cries for her parents were. Qrow felt his own eyes sting, tears welling up within them.

_‘Petal…no…please…don’t cry.’_

“Daddy!”

Her grief filled voice made him tremble. He couldn’t stand it. If he could take it all away, all the pain she felt he would. If he could trade places with her, with Summer, to give Ruby her mother back, he would without any second thoughts. Those things were, however, impossible. What seemed almost as impossible was he, a still very broken man, trying to comfort his daughter.

  
_‘No, no, no, no, please. Please baby girl…please don’t. Don’t cry. I’m—‘_

“ **DADDY!** ”

Her final howl broke him. Curling his body over her and bringing her close, he wrapped her in a gentle but distressed hug. Both figures shook as they cried together, grieved together, and mourned the loss of someone truly special. Ruby wrapped her arms around his torso as far as they could reach, clinging to his body and the fabric that hung from it. Qrow rubbed her head, trying to hide his sobs as best he could, yet falling short. They made indiscernible noises deafeningly, both gasping for air as they cried harder than ever before. Ruby coughed again and yawned as she continued to wail, not ready to stop her tears just yet.

She nestled her head in the crook of her father’s neck, and bawled into him. Shifting his posture for her, he laid his cheek against her head, cradling her.

“ **D-D-DAAADDY!** ”

At last, Qrow found the strength to answer his little girls call. Through pained, agonizing sobs and gasps for air, he softly responded, “I-I’m here, Petal. D-Da-Daddy’s here.” He shook, rocking them both back and forth. This action tore another yawn from Ruby, who’s crying finally began to calm down.

For months, all he thought about was Summer, his sins and guilt, and exacting vengeance for all of them. He languished in his nightmare, stoking the coals of his white, hot rage. Giving into his belligerence, he attacked multiple people and did his best to push people out of his life through aggressive means.

All of it came to a crashing halt in this moment. The moment his Petal begged for him to be there for her is when he couldn’t lie to himself any longer. He wanted to be there for her. He wanted her in his life. He wished for nothing more than to be her father. The thought merely tore him in two, realizing it couldn’t be.

Salem knew his wife. She knew him. It would only be a matter of time before she found Ruby, should he stay with her. He hated it, he detested it, and the thought made him sick to his stomach, but it was the truth: Ruby was safer with Tai. She was better off being his daughter until Salem could be vanquished.

 _‘I know we always planned to have this wrapped up and this charade over by the time she was six, Short-Stack, but I don’t see that happening.’_ He bitterly thought to himself. _‘I can’t fight how I need to and protect her from my enemies. They’ll find her. They will use her to get to me. I can’t…I can’t let that happen. I…’_

Silver, watery, and puffy red eyes looked up at him, loud cries now turned to hushed whimpering. He rubbed her face dry, gently stroking her hair and returning to rocking her. Finding a cozy spot in his arms, Ruby’s tired, heavy eyes began to flutter closed. One final yawn squeaked from her throat as she nestled into her father.

_‘I won’t let them touch our Petal, Summer.’_

Quietly, Qrow began to hum to her. A Lullaby for a Stormy Night vibrated through him, comforting Ruby as she buried her face into his chest.

Softly, he whispered to her, “Daddy…will never leave you again, Ruby. He’ll always be here for you…he promises.”

Continuing his hum, Ruby fell asleep in his arms within no time. He slowly settled himself back into his pillows, gently securing Ruby against him. Exhaustion was taking its toll on him as well, making his eyes heavy and mind hazy.

 _‘Summer…’_ He groggily called out to his wife, wherever she might be, _‘I know…I know I don’t deserve it…but…please grant me this one last happiness. Let me be her father for a little longer. Just…just a little longer. Please…you were right. You’re always right. She needs me…’_

His last set of tears fell as he begged for something he wished he could live without. Kissing the crown of Ruby’s head, he left the waking world with one more defeated thought.

_‘…and I need her.’_

 

* * *

 

“He’s asleep! Finally! I’m going to go get her!” Taiyang began to run to find whichever staff member held a key to Qrow’s room before being blocked by Ozpin’s cane.

“No, wait…I think…I think this is fine. They need one another right now more than ever.” Ozpin watched the pair fall into a deep sleep. “Besides…when was the last time you’ve seen Qrow look so peaceful?”

Taiyang turned, looking through their small view of father and daughter. “Now that you mention it, Ruby hasn’t looked that way in months. She’s been having trouble sleeping since their ambush.”

Ozpin nodded, “Qrow is the same. I heard from the doctors and nurses that when he found time to sleep, it would consist of tossing and turning. He seemed very restless. But here…”

“They’re both at peace.” Tai finished for him again. Begrudgingly, Tai agreed to let Ruby and Qrow alone for the time being. Glancing at his daughter, who also was asleep, he chuckled. “Hey, Oz, I’m going to take Yang to the food court and to use the restroom. We’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Ozpin smiled. “Take your time. They’re not going to wake up for a long while.”

As the Xiao Long’s walked off, Ozpin felt a sense of balance coming back into the lives of the two men.

 

_‘Finally…a step in the right direction…’_


End file.
